Understanding Emotions
by SkippingAlice
Summary: Sakura dropped her chopsticks, the ramen fell from Naruto's mouth and back into his steaming bowl. I've started dating Ino and would like advice. [SaiSakura]
1. Chapter 1

Understanding Emotions

Sakura dropped her chopsticks, the ramen fell from Naruto's mouth and back into his steaming bowl. "I've started dating Ino and would like advice." Sai/Sakura

Author: Skipping.Alice

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Sakura dropped her chopsticks, the ramen fell from Naruto's mouth and back into his steaming bowl. Sasuke shifted uneasily, Sai continued eating watching everyone's reactions with thinly veiled interest. Sakura's mouth moved as if trying to form words, words that she couldn't seem to say.

"I've started dating Ino and would like advice." Sasuke repeated, still looking uncomfortable.

Naruto's slack-jawed expression only worsened, "but why?!"

"What do you mean, 'why'?"

"She--she's a bitch!"

Sasuke glowered, "shut up, loser."

Sai ignored the boys, wondering if he should follow the advice his books had given him; after all Sakura did look forlorn. Making his decision Sai leaned in closer to Sakura. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes!" She flashed him a smile, a fake smile at that. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"But--" he tried again, only to be interrupted by Sasuke.

"Sakura, you see...Well the real reason I brought this up was because I would like your advice."

Something flashed behind her eyes, Sakura smiled brightly nodding her head, "of course I will Sasuke!" She had left out the infamous, 'kun', no one had seemed to notice. Sai frowned; of everything his books had told him of emotions this was by far the most baffling. Sakura was pretending to be fine, of that he was sure, but why? Wasn't she over Sasuke?

The group, with a only a few more barbs between Sasuke and Naruto, returned to eating. Sakura's soft voice explained the kinds of things girls enjoyed, flowers, a nice date. And, she stressed, that he remember to be polite. She glared at Naruto as the words left her mouth, the boy continued to eat, small bits of ramen flying to and fro.

Sai wouldn't have been surprised if Sasuke had suddenly whipped out a note pad and began taking notes. Naruto had a dazed expression on his face, more than once his chopsticks missed his mouth and ramen sloshed down onto the counter.

The rest of the meal was spent with Sakura giving lessons about proper behavior while one was on a date (still glaring at Naruto). Sai soaked up her words, knowing he would never need the advice but still wanting it.

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Sakura fell limply to her bed, her breath leaving her lungs in a sound- woosh! Who knew, Ino-pig would finally win Sasuke after all these years. Sakura flopped onto her stomach, groping on her nightstand for her phone. Grasping it, she pulled the heavy old fashioned phone down.

Sakura sat up and pressed the phone to her ear, listening as it rang. "Hello? Ino's voice crackled over the line, wavering in and out.

"Ino, are you in the garden?"

"Oh, hey Sakura. Yeah, I am, why?"

Sakura laid down again, twirling the cord around her fingers. "Your breaking up." Ino cursed and after some banging and louder curses the crackling stopped.

"Better?"

"Better," Sakura affirmed.

Ino heaved a tired sigh, "you're calling about Sasuke, right?" She didn't give Sakura chance to answer. "Well, I'm a shocked as you. Today he just walked up to me and asked me out. I know, I know. You don't even have to say it. Sasuke was totally out of character."

"Hmm." Sakura bit her lip and frowned.

"So, how'd he tell you?"

"He asked us for advice."

Ino choked, "us? What do you mean, US?"

"Sai and Naruto were also present."

"Aww, damn it! With Naruto's big mouth it'll be all over by tomorrow." She grumbled and Sakura could hear her stomping about her house. The whir of Ino's fridge brought a smile to Sakura's face.

"Look, Ino. I know your depressed and all, but if you keep stuffing your face in the kitchen, you'll get fat."

Ino choked worse than before, spitting curses that would have made a sailor blush. "Shut up Sakura! At least I have a boyfriend!" Ino realized her mistake the second the words had left her mouth. "Oh--Sakura, I'm sorry."

"It's fine Ino." Sakura cut her off sharply. "I've got to go." Before Ino could continue on with her apologies Sakura slammed the phone back to the receiver. Sakura punched her pillow into submission and roughly pushed her head down on it, squeezing her eyes shut.

She lay there, tense and scrunched up for quite some time, finally giving up on sleep as she realized how silly she was being. The phone rang loudly in her ear, startling a scream from her. She picked up the phone her hands still shaking. "H-Hello?"

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura sat up, nearly yanking the phone cord from the wall, she tried not to sound as eager as she really was. "Sai-san? What's wrong?" Could this be the big break? Was this finally Sai coming out and having emotions?!

"Well...It's about your advice from earlier." Sakura fell sideways, banging to the floor. Sai looked at his phone in confusion. "Sakura-san? Are you alright?"

"F-Fine. Now, Sai-san, what did you want to a-ask."

"Well, when asking a girl about, you said a man has to be suave. I know what suave means." He rattled off the meaning of the word. "But...How can I be suave?" Sakura fell right back off her bed and the ground once more. "Sakura-san, are you sure your alright?"

"Are you asking me how to be suave?"

"Er, well, yes."

"Oh," Sakura rubbed her forehead, trying to piece together the best way to explain how to be suave. "I suppose it means you should spend extra time grooming yourself."

"Grooming?" he interrupted, sounding eager.

"Yeah...Um, making your hair look nice and wearing clothes that suits you best."

Sai murmured in understanding, she could picture him nodding his head. "I see. Sakura-san?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go out with me?" Sakura fell from the bed once more, twitching and staring at the phone in her hand in disbelief.

"Sai-san," she breathed into the phone, "that was not suave."

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I really love Sai, he's so fun to write with. Review and all that jazz.

Skipping.Alice


	2. Chapter 2

Understanding Emotions

Sakura dropped her chopsticks, the ramen fell from Naruto's mouth and back into his steaming bowl. "I've started dating Ino and would like advice." [Sai/Sakura

Author: Skipping.Alice

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Ino stared across the table at her in open-mouthed shock, Sakura nodded and Ino's mouth fell open wider. Sighing Sakura stirred her little pink straw around the empty glass. "Sai is so weird," Sakura whined slammed her head into the table. "I never know what to expect from him. One second he's calling me ugly, the next asking me out on a date."

"Are you sure it's a date?"

"Hmm?" Sakura looked up at Ino.

"Well," she said, averting her eyes. "It could just be his way of trying to make friends and he doesn't like you at all...Or, he's always liked you and has been stupidly trying to hide it."

Sakura groaned loudly, banging her head into the table a few more times (for good measure). "This helps me how?"

"Forehead-girl, it seems you've a large problem."

"What?"

Ino inclined her head to the street. "Sai's coming."

Sakura choked and leapt to her feet, nearly knocking Ino and the table over in the process. "What?!" She hissed and looked as though she was about ready to sink into the floor.

"You moron!" Ino snapped grabbing her arm and roughly pulling her back down into her seat. "Don't attract attention to yourself!" Sakura bit back an angry retort and did as she was bid, pushing herself low into her seat. Sai, looking confused and lost, walked aimlessly around the street. Sakura hid under the table, feeling like a naughty child caught at her own game. "Oh no, Sakura, he's coming in."

Sakura crawled behind Ino's chair, feeling the inquisitive stare of the mother at the next table on her. She was practically under Ino's chair, and, while Sai wouldn't be able to see her that didn't mean anyone else couldn't. Ino stepped lightly on her hand and Sakura stopped wiggling, holding her breath as she waited to hear the conversation above her.

"Yamanaka-san, if you have a moment?" That was Sai, Sakura's grip tightened around Ino's leg and she worried her lower lip.

"Oh--yeah sure, what's up?"

Sai paused. "The sky?"

Ino laughed, "we have a winner." Sakura nearly groaned, knowing that Sai didn't understand what Ino had meant and his answer had been completely serious. "Now, what do you want?"

"May I sit down? Well, I checked some books out from the library--"

"Go figure," Sakura whispered from under the table, only to receive a sound kick from Ino.

"--And they mentioned that when taking a lady on a date, that it was proper to bring flowers."

"Sakura isn't a lady," Ino said, covering a yelp with her hand as Sakura bit her. "She's a rabid biter!" She kicked the girl again and looked up to see Sai giving her a strange look. "Heh, heh, just kidding! So, you wanted to talk flowers, eh?"

Sai seemed reluctant now, but finally he said: "Yes, something that suits Sakura-san."

Ino pursed her lips and tiled her head. "Well, lets start with this; what kind of mood do you want to set?"

"Mood?" the boy questioned, looking confused.

Ino sighed heavily, clinking her long nails against her glass. "Yeah, mood, every date needs a mood."

Sai flushed lightly, drawing on the table with a finger. Sakura felt the eyes on her increase in number, as most of the restaurant behind her could see her rump sticking high from behind Ino's chair. She shifted, feeling her shoulders ache from the strange pose she held herself up with. _Hurry up, Ino_, she urged silently, clenching her teeth together.

"What?" Ino asked, "is it not a date, then?"

"N-Not exactly, in 'A Mans Guide to Courting a Lady'" - Ino snorted with laughter - "it states that a man must make the first move when there is a girl that he likes. And I like Sakura-san, so shouldn't I--"

"Ok, Ok, that's enough." Ino pointed at him. "First off, if you really like Sakura and want to court her, you have to pick a better nickname, none of this 'ugly' nonsense, that won't make a girl like you, not at all. Now, you need to find something cute, I suggest Blossom,"

Sakura savagely pinched Ino's calf, she _**hated**_ being called blossom.

Ino carried on with only a slight pause and grimace of pain. "Now, do you see? Give it a try."

Sai pursed his lips, his finger tapping on the table increased in movement. "Dog?"

Ino's elbow slipped and her head nearly hit the table below, Sakura growled under the table. "No!" Ino pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not mean; it has to be something sweet, idiot!"

Unused to being called an idiot, Sai regarded the girl before him thoughtfully. "Koi?" Sakura squealed loudly, sitting up and crashing her head into Ino's chair. Ino coughed loudly, trying to cover Sakura's squealing.

"Perfect! Now you're getting it! Though ... you might want to wait off a little before calling her that. Let's start with something simple, call her 'Sakura-chan'. Ok? That's a step forward."

"Sakura-chan," Sai said it slowly, as if tasting a new dish and trying to savor it. "Alright, thank you, Yamanaka-san, I have to leave now though; I'm seeing Tsunade-sama with a mission briefing."

"Oh, Sai, come by our store later, I'll help you choose some flowers."

The pale boy gave a small bow and turned to leave, pausing once. "Goodbye Sakura-chan."

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"That bastard knew I was there all along!" Sakura grumbled, walking along side Ino in the street. "I wish he would have said something earlier, it was so uncomfortable down there."

Ino smirked over at her, "maybe he wanted his _**koi**_ to hear how much he liked her." Ino waggled her eyebrows dramatically.

"Get bent, Ino," Sakura growled, glaring at the blonde. "Or I'll suggest Sasuke take you out for fried gizzard."

"Ooh, sick!" Ino elbowed Sakura in the side, bumping their hips together. "Don't be mean, Sakura, or I'll tell Sai to bring you poison ivy."

"Touché," Sakura muttered.

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I'm sorry for the wait; I'm moving and everything's been pretty hectic. Hopefully I'll be able to write more when everything cools down.

SkippingAlice.

**Koi:** _love; tender passion_


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